Hampshire police said Homan was walking her dog around 1 p.m. Wednesday when she was struck by a blue Vauxhall Corsa on the B3049 near Lainston House Hotel.

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Police said Homan was taken to the hospital, where she died. Homan's dog was taken to be treated by a local vet, according to the BBC news.

Officers are investigating the cause of the crash and asking for witnesses to come forward. The driver of the car, a 17-year-old woman from Winchester, was interviewed by police but not arrested, the BBC reported.

Homan graduated from the University of Maine with degrees in wildlife ecology and psychology and focused on "deception in nonhuman animals as well as the detection of deception in humans." After graduation, she worked at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Florida as an intern and then as an animal care specialist.

Homan was focusing her studies on whether dogs are able to detect deception in humans, according to the unviersity website.

Dr. Sherria Hoskins, the head of the University of Portsmouth psychology department, told the Hampshire Chronicle that Homan was a "well-loved," member of their team.

"In the short time that Caitlin was a member of our department she made a huge impact, making many friends and impressing colleagues with her fantastic research ideas and abilities," Hoskins told the newspaper. "Our thoughts are very much with Caitlin's family and we hope that soon we can meet with them to offer some strength in knowing that Caitlin was happy and loved during her time with us."